Busan Osiria Autonomous 'BigAi Bus' Transitions to Paid Service

Two Osiria Routes, 1,550 Won for Adults


Free Service Since Last September, 6,835 Total Passengers


Naeseong–Jungdong BRT Section Also Paid in Second Half of Year

The autonomous driving bus operating in the Busan Osiria Tourism Complex will transition to a paid service.

On March 9, Busan Metropolitan City announced that the Busan autonomous driving bus "BigAi Bus," currently running in the Osiria Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Operation Zone, will switch to a fare-based passenger transportation system.

The Busan autonomous driving bus operates on weekdays from 9:17 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. The intervals between buses are set at 20 to 50 minutes, taking into account train arrival times at Osiria Station and passenger demand.

Busan Autonomous Driving Bus BigAi Bus.

There are two routes: Osiria Station–National Busan Science Museum (4.8 km) and Osiria Station–Gijang Coastal Road (4.6 km). The fare is 1,550 won for adults when using a transportation card, which is similar to the city bus fare.

The city has provided free pilot operations across the Osiria Tourism Complex since September last year. As of February 13, the cumulative number of passengers reached 6,835, with no safety incidents reported.

According to a user satisfaction survey, route suitability received a rating of 70.6%, and 65.9% of users indicated they would use the service again.

Even after the service becomes paid, the city will maintain safety measures such as having safety management personnel on board and maintaining insurance coverage. The city also plans to prepare for unexpected situations through pre-, mid-, and post-operation inspections and real-time monitoring.

Since the Osiria Tourism Complex was designated as an autonomous vehicle pilot operation zone in 2022, the service has been gradually expanded.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to promote the commercialization of autonomous public transportation based on its operational experience and technology validation results, and will also consider expanding service hours and diversifying routes in the future.

Additionally, the autonomous driving pilot service currently underway on the Naeseong–Middle East BRT section is scheduled to transition to a paid operation in the second half of this year, following data analysis and safety verification.

Park Heongjoon, Mayor of Busan, stated, "The introduction of paid fares for autonomous driving buses marks an important turning point in the commercialization of future mobility," adding, "We will build a safe autonomous public transportation system and develop Busan into a leading city for future mobility."

Naeseong~Middle East BRT Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Operation Zone Route Map.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.